How much coffee prices have risen since 1985, in one chart
Coffee prices were already rising after last year’s poor harvest when the US added new tariffs on coffee imports in April. These tariffs have since been rolled back, but prices are still high in grocery stores and cafes, leaving many customers wondering why a simple cup of coffee is so expensive.
As of September, the price of roasted coffee sold in stores was approximately 41% higher than 12 months ago, rising from an average of $6.47 per kilo to $9.14. Latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
While prices can drop roughly a dollar a year during volatile periods, the nearly $3 increase in the latest BLS data is unusually high, and consumers are taking notice.
“This is ridiculous,” said Chuck Smith, 52. a TikTok video In August, he showed receipts for a 38.2-ounce bottle of Maxwell House ground coffee he bought at his local Walmart in Indiana, where the price had nearly doubled in less than a year to $21.44.
Smith says he shot the clip spontaneously in the supermarket aisle after noticing the price increase. “It was just me in the moment,” he told CNBC Make It, adding that the reaction “reflects what a lot of people are feeling.” Walmart and Kraft Heinz, the makers of Maxwell House, did not respond to requests for comment.
Other brands also included nespresso And FolgersThere was also an increase in prices last year.
Restaurant coffee prices have also increased: The average cost of a regular cup rose from $3.46 to $3.57 in the year ending October 2025. restaurant and cafe price data It is tracked by menu software company Toast.
What’s behind the biggest increase in coffee prices in decades?
The data show that the increase in average retail coffee prices is the steepest and most sustained increase since the BLS began tracking these prices in 1980.
Weather problems came first. Drought and heavy rain spoiled harvest In Brazil and Vietnam, supply tightened well before tariffs took effect in 2024.
Coffee futures prices rose from roughly $2 per pound in May 2024 to as high as $4 per pound in April 2025; This is one of the steepest increases the market has seen in decades. According to Intercontinental Exchange data. Since futures are the benchmark for what importers and roasters pay for beans, sharp increases often lead to higher costs, which are eventually reflected in retail prices.
Tariffs are another factor. In April, the US imposed new tariffs on coffee imports; 10% to major coffee-growing Latin American countries and about 20% to Asian growers; Brazil was hit the hardest with 50%. Since then, grocery store coffee prices have increased nearly 21%, according to consumer price index data.
In mid-November, the White House rolled back most of the new coffee tariffs, eliminating duties for nearly all producing countries except Brazil, which retained its 40% tariff. management last week remaining 40% quests removed Customs duties on coffee imports from almost all major exporters were effectively terminated, including on Brazilian coffee.
Because retail prices often lag behind wholesale costs, it may take time for any loosening to appear on store shelves. Still, eliminating the tariffs would ultimately help relieve some pressure on prices, according to the National Coffee Association, an industry trade group.
“There was significant inflation in coffee prices during the time the tariffs were in effect,” an NCA spokesperson told CNBC Make It. “Removing tariffs in the world’s leading coffee-producing countries is expected to significantly reduce costs.”
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